Why do mosquitoes drink blood and how do they do it?

Why do mosquitoes drink blood?

The first young offspring appear in May. Insects gather near bodies of water where they developed as larvae. They lead a carefree lifestyle, feeding on nectar, dew, and plant juices. After some time, the mating season begins. Insects gather in flocks, fly around the neighborhood, and colonize the territory.

After fertilization, the female begins to look for a source of blood to allow the eggs to develop. It chooses humans, animals, and less often birds as victims. After satisfying its needs and being completely saturated, the mosquito begins to look for a favorable place to lay eggs.

On a note!

The larvae develop in stagnant water and damp soil. In the wild, mosquitoes lay eggs in swamps, lakes, and large puddles. City mosquitoes do this in basements on damp pipes and damp rags.

What blood type do mosquitoes like?

Landstein presented the classification of protein liquid more than 100 years ago. The scientist noted that it differs in the presence of antigens and their quantity. This simplified the process of determining which blood type squeaking mosquitoes like. Numerous studies have made it possible to determine which blood type people are bitten by mosquitoes more often. The most preferable is the first group. What is attractive about the first group?

• Presence of smooth red blood cells.
• The presence of special proteins.

While studying the issue of mosquitoes and blood groups, we were able to find out several more interesting facts:

1. The third and fourth groups do not attract insects. In nature or near bodies of water, people with such groups practically do not suffer from insect attacks.
2. To drink lymph, insects carefully search for prey. Pests use the volume of carbon dioxide emitted by humans as a guide.
3. At a considerable distance, mosquitoes can smell the aroma of sweat. The amount of sweat determines how many insects will be attracted at a time. Therefore, athletes and people involved in physical labor often suffer from attacks.
4. If you use aromatic herbs and liquids with a rich aroma, the likelihood of attacks from pests is reduced. Lavender, cloves, citrus fruits and conifers are suitable for protection. It is allowed to use herbs and essential oils that have similar characteristics.

Within the city, insects attack only people. Near reservoirs, ponds and forests, pests bite animals and birds. After all, there are not always people next to a flock of mosquitoes. To reduce the likelihood of bites, a variety of insecticidal preparations, devices with active substances and chemicals are used. Various companies are involved in their development and production. Therefore, each person can easily choose a product that has the appropriate parameters and characteristics.

How a mosquito drinks blood

The insect finds the victim by the smell of lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and sweat. When an animal or person stands still, a cloud with a certain aroma forms around it. The mosquito senses it several tens of meters away.

They sit on open areas of skin, pierce it with their proboscis, and inject saliva. Why do they do this, so that the blood stops clotting and it is more convenient to drink. An insect can bite several times during one meal, but if it is not frightened, it will sit in one place for several minutes.

On a note!

Females suck blood with great appetite. An insect with a mass of 3.6 g can drink about 5.2 ml at a time. The abdomen gradually enlarges and the color changes. After the mosquito has drunk blood, it calmly leaves the victim and looks for a place to lay eggs. Food reserves last for several days, after which protein food is again required.

Top 10 interesting facts about mosquitoes and mosquitoes

1. malaria mosquito in Ukraine.
2. Only the females of most mosquitoes drink blood . At the same time, everyone, without exception, feeds on the nectar of flowering plants .
3. Mosquitoes drink blood to produce eggs , so their laying cycle is directly dependent on blood consumption.
4. Females can lay up to 300 eggs at a time .
5. During the mating period, female mosquitoes attract the attention of males with a characteristic subtle sound, reminiscent of a squeak, which is created with the help of their wings .
6. Mosquitoes appeared more than 175 million years ago, back in the era of dinosaurs . , amphibians, bats, wild plants, aquatic turtles, small mammals and others feed on mosquitoes
7. According to statistics, mosquitoes bite blondes more often than brunettes.
8. According to researchers, mosquitoes are much more active during the full moon .
9. over 3 thousand species of mosquitoes in the world .
10. Mosquitoes live on every continent except Antarctica .
11. Some species of mosquitoes feed on fish blood .
12. Before drinking blood, the female mosquito secretes saliva into the victim's skin to prevent the blood from clotting; it is this saliva that causes redness, itching, an allergic reaction or swelling.
13. A mosquito flaps its wings at speeds of up to 600 times per second .
14. Mosquitoes do not like the smell of tomato tops, fresh walnut leaves, basil flowers, bird cherry, elderberry branches, wheatgrass, anise, cloves, valerian, eucalyptus, lavender, thyme, geranium, mint, cedar oil, birch bark tar.
15. When choosing a victim, the female blood-sucking mosquito is guided by carbon dioxide exhaled by a person, thermal radiation, movement , as well as the smell of lactic acid contained in sweat.
16. An experiment in the Canadian tundra showed that people with bare arms, legs and torso received 9,000 bites from young mosquitoes per minute . At this rate, a person can lose half their blood in two hours.
17. Theoretically, 1,200,000 mosquitoes are enough .
18. The most “delicious” blood for mosquitoes is found in people with the first and second blood groups, as well as children .
19. The eyes occupy most of the mosquito's head. They see in infrared light , which makes it possible to freely find warm-blooded prey in complete darkness.
20. Do not scratch the bitten area, it is better to moisten it with alcohol - this will quickly relieve the pain.

For more information on how the mosquito bite process occurs, watch the video:

Let us remind you that 5.ua previously reported that the photographer showed amazing photographs of domestic insects.

See also photo gallery on the topic:

Mosquito diet

The mosquito drinks blood for protein.
So why is these insects' need for blood so strong? Males do not bite at all; they have a completely different diet. Nectar and plant food are enough for them; this is enough for them to obtain the energy necessary for life. Females also consume plant foods, but they contain very little protein, and they need protein to breed offspring. They obtain the necessary protein from the blood of warm-blooded creatures. Protein is formed from red blood cells and plasma lipids.

A female mosquito lays about 200 eggs, and without feeding on blood, she can lay no more than 40 eggs. In a hungry state, the female consumes her own body protein, and after laying eggs she dies. This is why they need blood.

The mosquito filled its abdomen with blood.

There are a large number of different types of mosquitoes, which differ slightly in their living conditions. The most unusual species lives in cities, in basements. These mosquitoes bother you with their buzzing all year round; they do not hibernate in winter, but prefer to be active throughout the year.

Why do mosquitoes need blood?

Why do mosquitoes drink blood? The fact is that eating animal or human blood is a necessity for female mosquitoes. It is one of the richest nutrient resources. Females need it because it contains a large amount of protein. Protein, in turn, contributes to the reproductive function. Males only need carbohydrate, which they easily find in plant nectars.

Protein contributes to the quality functioning of the egg laying process: it all depends on the quantity and quality of blood drunk.

Who drinks: female or male

When deciding which mosquitoes drink blood, you should turn to their physiological needs. Considering that the female is responsible for the reproduction of offspring in the mosquito family, only female individuals feed on blood. The menu of male mosquitoes consists of plant food: flower nectar. They do not have such a proboscis and have a slightly different structure of the oral apparatus.

Males need a diet rich in carbohydrates, which gives them a feeling of fullness for a long time. Also, this method of nutrition is the key to the reproduction of some plants, whose pollen is carried by insects while searching for food.

Interesting!

The female mosquito's need for blood is so high that while eating, she cannot stop. The bloodsucker stops drinking blood only when its body expands several times and its abdomen is not completely filled. The number of times a mosquito bites depends on the actions of the victim and the degree of hunger of the female.

What kind of blood do parasites drink?

For insects, it doesn’t make much difference whether the victim is a person or an animal. In both the first and second cases, the bloodsucker replenishes energy reserves and gains the opportunity to reproduce healthy offspring. However, nature dictates that human blood is less preferable. Moreover, foreign odors - perfumes, repellents - interfere with detection of the victim.

If you choose between adults and children, insects will choose the second option. The child smells more of lactic acid, which attracts bloodsuckers. It is easier to bite through the skin, the blood functions faster.

Studies have shown that bloodsuckers attack people more if there is a strong smell of sweat. Some bacteria attract the attention of insects, as well as a specific aroma, which differs depending on the blood type. Mosquitoes feed most on the blood of people with the fourth group; those with the second suffer the least.

It was also found that the presence of viruses in the blood, pathogens, repels parasites better than a repellent. This is associated with pathological processes that begin to occur in the body, which is why a specific smell appears.

How much they drink, the more they will “pop”

According to Siberian entomologist, associate professor of the Department of Zoology and Evolutionary Ecology of Animals at Tyumen State University V. A. Stolbov, females are attracted to human blood by protein, a necessary component in their reproductive process. Vitaliy Alekseevich claims that the volumes of blood sucked from warm-blooded animals are directly proportional to the number of mosquito offspring. V. A. Stolbov explains why male mosquitoes physically cannot be bloodsuckers: their oral apparatus is designed in such a way that such insects are simply not able to pierce the skin of a person or animal. If you carefully examine a male mosquito, you will notice a mustache on his head, which he needs to look for a mate; males do not have a proboscis-sting. A Siberian entomologist debunks the widespread myth that the life of a female bloodsucker ends after her one-time attack on her prey. Vitaly Alekseevich assures: the mosquito is able to repeatedly bite into its victim in just one night. Having thoroughly pumped up with blood, the female mosquito then lays eggs (tens to hundreds of eggs) over the course of two to three days. And then - again on the attack. Some mosquitoes can live up to a year.

How mosquitoes bite

Bloodsuckers inject saliva into the body, which causes irritation, redness and swelling, and itching. After a mosquito bite, the spot remains on the body for about a week. In young children, as well as people with pathologically weak immunity, an allergic reaction occurs. Manifests itself in the form of large swelling, large-scale redness, severe itching, and induration.

Insects bite on open areas of the body, as well as anywhere if the clothes are made of thin fabric. Mosquitoes are afraid of persistent odors and insecticides. For protection, folk remedies and special preparations in the form of cream, aerosol, and spray are used. They are active in the evening, as well as during the day in shady areas.

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How does reproduction occur?

The ability to reproduce in females appears already 3-4 days after transformation into an adult. From this time on, she can enter into a relationship with a male. After this, she needs protein and begins the search for a victim.

Special antennas help mosquitoes catch the smell of a food source. The radius of action is about 1 km. Bloodsuckers find their prey based on the following signs:

1. Warm.
2. The smell of sweat.
3. Carbon dioxide, which is released during respiration.

Description of the process of how a mosquito drinks blood:

1. After finding the victim, the insect selects a place to bite. It should be warm, pulsating and thin-skinned.
2. Then, using her proboscis, the female pierces the human epidermis and immediately starts salivating. It contains a special substance that prevents rapid clotting and makes it possible to finish the meal. The same enzyme provokes an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite, the appearance of blisters, redness and swelling.
3. It is impossible to determine exactly when a mosquito has drunk blood, since the female will eat as much as she can.
4. After being bitten, female mosquitoes go to look for a place to lay eggs and reproduce.

Interesting!

Some species, such as urban basement peepers, have the ability to lay their first clutch even with a bloodless diet. But immediately after the first reproduction, individuals go in search of warm-blooded victims.

On average, a mosquito leaves about 200 eggs per clutch. But reproduction is also possible with a bloodless diet of dipterans. In this case, the number of eggs is reduced to 40, the offspring are weak and few survive to the adult stage, dying while still in the larval stage. The female herself suffers. After all, to lay eggs she has to spend her own protein reserves. Therefore, the bloodsucker often dies after this.